The immediate fall-out of Turkey’s shooting of a Russian fighter jet may ultimately remain limited. Perhaps, neither Moscow nor Ankara will substantively modify policies towards each other. An ad hoc anti-ISIS coalition that includes both Russia and Turkey could still materialize. However, the indirect repercussions of this brief conflict may still be noteworthy in view of the event’s symbolic and geopolitical significance. The incident (by itself small) has happened at a time of other foreign challenges to Russia’s rulers. It could result in deeper problems for the Kremlin than we can currently see. In one way or another, it will impact both the coherence of Putin’s regime and the effectiveness of Moscow’s foreign policies. [#st]